Florida Car Accidents Involving Uber or Lyft Drivers

Florida Car Accidents Involving Uber or Lyft Drivers

The increased popularity of ridesharing services comes with the rise in Florida car accidents involving Uber or Lyft drivers. While ridesharing services offer a convenient and safe method of travel for passengers, as well as an income generating opportunity for drivers, there are several liability concerns that arise after an accident. Rideshare drivers should consult with an experienced car accident attorney to fully understand their rights after an accident involving an Uber or Lyft automobile.

Most major ridesharing companies like Uber or Lyft have large insurance policies to cover accidents. After a Florida car accident involving Uber or Lyft, these insurance policies are available to drivers. Under Florida law, vehicle owners are required to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. The minimums for Florida drivers are $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) insurance and $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL) insurance. However, an additional law in Florida requires rideshare drivers to carry more than the minimum coverage. In fact, during any ride rideshare drivers are required to carry $1 million in liability coverage for physical injury, property damage, and death. Additionally, rideshare drivers must also carry the minimum PIP insurance that applies to all Florida drivers. Whether the rideshare driver is carrying passengers or not, they are still required to have $50,000 in physical injury or death liability coverage that applies anytime the rideshare application is on and they are looking for customers.

Most rideshare companies provide their drivers with generous insurance policies. For instance, Uber provides their drivers with insurance that complies with Florida law as well as a $1 million insurance policy for liability to any third parties arising from an accident. Additionally, Uber offers their drivers insurance related to uninsured or underinsured motorists. This $1 million policy applies whenever the Uber driver is actively driving a passenger or on their way to pick up a passenger. However, during times when the driver is looking for a passenger, the lower insurance maximums apply.

After a Florida car accident involving Uber or Lyft, Florida’s accident liability rules still apply to decide how accident losses are covered. Despite the generous policies offered by rideshare companies, Uber or Lyft drivers involved in a Florida car accident may not have their personal losses covered if they are found at-fault. Rideshare drivers are encouraged to carefully review their personal injury policy and the rideshare company insurance guarantees to make sure that they have adequate coverage in the event of an accident. Moreover, if a rideshare driver is not using their vehicle for ridesharing purposes, the regular Florida car accident laws apply. Under Florida law, individuals are required to look to their own personal injury protection insurance to cover minor injuries. In the event of serious or permanent injuries or property damage, an individual may bring a traditional claim.

Florida car accidents involving Uber or Lyft drivers can lead to confusion. Wittmer|Linehan understands the laws relating to ridesharing accidents in Florida and our experienced attorneys can help you better understand your rights. We will immediately become your advocate, starting with protecting vital evidence from your car accident all the way through taking your case to trial. We know that results matter for our clients. If you have been in an accident involving Uber or Lyft, contact us for your free consultation at (941) 365-2296.

Charlotte County, Florida

Our attorneys have achieved many impressive results on cases with limited insurance policies. They have been successful in cases where a trial was necessary to achieve the desired results for our clients. Our firm has also been able to secure judgments against insurance companies that refused to protect their insured(s) by properly evaluating the claims against them.